BY Kim Bowen
FOR THE ENTERPRISE
Editor’s Note: Kim Bowen, president of the 10th and 11th Crow Wing Lakes Association, recently met with legislators to discuss resort issues. She is on the membership of the Congress of Minnesota Resorts. Here is her report:
n Support Explore Minnesota Tourism (EMT): Just last year EMT finally got allocated the same funding budget they had in 2008, now they are asking for a little more this next biannual period to adjust for inflation.) We support their efforts as research has shown that every $1 spent in Minnesota promotion incurs approx. $84 spent in tourism (which translates in to about $8 in sales tax.) An 8 to 1 return on the dollar is a pretty darn good investment. Where else can you get that kind of return? (It still stuns me that all surrounding states have vastly bigger tourism budgets that MN - even North Dakota! Sheesh, even the Wisconsin Dells ALONE has a bigger budget than our entire state. The city of Chicago has a bigger budget than our entire state. Ironic when you realize that Agriculture and Tourism are tied for biggest income producers for our state.) (Support bills SF 22 / HF 434)
n Retain post Labor Day school start: (there are several bills floating around right now asking for a repeal or exception for just this year - what a slippery slope that is ...)
And, of course, let’s talk about fall sports. Most schools start their football, cross country, etc. practices two weeks prior to the first day of school. So already an estimated 60,000 kids across the state, plus their families, are affected by this timeframe. I hear this comment every single year from guests: “Kim, we need to change weeks next year because Junior is in football this year and can’t miss practice or the coach won’t play him. We are so bummed we can’t come back into this week where we’ve made so many friends over the last few years.”
With approximately 10 weeks of summer to make their annual income, most Mom & Pop resorts across the state are affected greatly by this particular law. I remember back in 2005 when this law was passed, the difference in income for us personally from the prior year, to the next after Post Labor Day school start law was put into place, was around $8,000 (not to mention more hours to give to our cleaning and lodge staff.
(I just sent out 22 W-2 forms last month to our 2014 resort employees, so resorts and tourism related businesses are known and reliable job creators.)
This also doesn’t take into account tourism dollars spent in the surrounding communities on dining out, gasoline, groceries, activities, fishing guides, tours, boat rentals, shopping, etc. Tourism is a big income producer for the state. And where do public schools get their funding?
Hmm. I realize they get it from various government entities, but a large share is from the state, isn’t it? How incredibly impactful it is to us in the tourism business (just ask the State Fair peeps, or even Mall of America) to have this Post Labor Day School Start.
There are lots of ways schools could add time to their calendars (less break days, more days in spring, even adding a simple 15 minutes of time per school day would take off two weeks from the schedule in a calendar year.)
The argument that more local control is what matters most just doesn’t take into account that school boards in Rochester, for instance, even have tourism on their minds when considering what starting before Labor Day means to how much money will be available in general state funds for K-12.
Why are they biting the hand that feed them? Don’t they realize how much this little law directly affects budgeting? Well, no. And that is what legislators are for: to balance and weigh these issues to try and make the best decisions for the greater good of the most people they represent. (Say “NO” to bills HF 100/ SF 115 and HF 466)
n AIS trailer sticker law going into place July 1, 2015. This is causing huge controversy right now. Our group is mixed on opinions for this issue, so our Congress of Minnesota Resorts stance was “education not enforcement.”
(I’d be happy to tell you my own opinion, just call and ask. I have lots of details to relate about my lake association’s Watercraft Inspection program, our own efforts to control and monitor Curly Leaf Pondweed on 11th Crow Wing Lake, difficulties in educating peeps about why it will affect their property values and lake recreation, etc.)
My representative Dave Hancock said what’ll likely happen is that this bill will get repealed because of the buzz. Some other bill will likely replace it that is a little more concrete and “common sensical.”
(I heard this exact same comment from several other senators and representatives yesterday.) But, who knows? There’s still a lot of time between now and May 18 when session ends, so it’s possible the law will remain in place.
We could all tell that they are really looking for input on this issue. Our group was asked repeatedly what might work better and lots of ideas were sent back and forth. (I.E. making the training course free, exempting travelers with boat trailers passing through the state, only targeting public boat ramps, putting money into positive instead of negative message signage at all boat ramps, etc. etc. etc.)
No one has answers right now, just everybody is acknowledging how important educating the public is about Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and how best we can accomplish this task.
